(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
(ii) Related Art
Image forming apparatuses, such as copy machines and printers, that form images by electrophotography are known. An example of such an image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium, such as a sheet of printing paper, by transferring a toner image formed on a photoconductor onto an intermediate transfer body (first transfer process) and then transferring the toner image onto the recording medium.
A cycle method (four-cycle method when four colors of toners are used) is an example of a method for forming a full-color image with the structure including the intermediate transfer body. In the cycle method, toner images of respective colors, such as yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), that correspond to a single full-color image are successively formed by a single image forming unit. The toner images of the respective colors are successively transferred, one toner image in each cycle, onto the intermediate transfer body. Thus, the toner images are superimposed on a transfer belt (transfer member).
The image forming apparatus that uses the cycle method includes a cleaning device for removing toner (an example of developer) that remains on the transfer belt. A blade-shaped cleaning member (removing member) included in the cleaning device is separated from the transfer belt during the image forming process, and is brought into contact with the transfer belt when the first transfer process is ended.